-Frontline The government’s passage of the Aadhaar Bill in complete disregard of even basic parliamentary procedures and in subversion of an ongoing judicial process puts at risk a number of constitutional rights and liberties of citizens. The benefits cited are just ploys to realise a neoliberal dream. “Congressmen are dancing as if [Aadhaar] was a herb for all cures. With the Supreme Court pulling up the Centre, people are now seeking...

  Social audit is an important tool not just to ensure transparency and accountability in the MGNREGS, but also for successful running of the programme. The MIS (Management Information System) data provided by the website www.nrega.nic.in reveals that at the national-level roughly one-third of all districts were covered under social audit during the financial year 2015-16, as on 26 March, 2016. The top 5 states during 2015-16 (FY) in terms of the...

-The Economic Times NEW DELHI: The government has dropped the idea of changing the wage calculation formula for its flagship rural jobs programme but has increased the wages about 6% for 2016-17. It has increased allocation to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme 4% to Rs 38,500 crore for 2016-17 compared to that in the current fiscal. The scheme would have required an additional Rs 2,000 crore had the...

-Business Standard While allocations to several social sector schemes have been increased, concerns about the direction of the funds being ploughed remain The health and education sectors have trudged along the last two years awaiting direction that would be set through new policies the National Democratic Alliance government promised. In the absence of these guiding documents, most observers have been left to read the intermittent policy decisions like tea-leaves to guess the...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: Shopkeepers and street vendors across India who wish to continue providing commodities in plastic bags would need to pay Rs 4,000 per month to local authorities under new rules intended to discourage free carry bags. The Union environment ministry today announced revised rules to manage India's massive burden of plastic waste. The rules will introduce this waste management fee on vendors, while imposing a collect-back system for brand-owners...